How to Choose a Domain Name – 7 Tips to Help Guide You

Choosing a domain name is exciting. It means you are one-step closer to going live with your shiny new blog.

However, even though you are excited, you should not rush and jump on the first name you think of. You want to pick a name that you will be happy with today, and in five years from now.

The below tips will help guide.

1 – Choose a .com TLD

Choose a .com TLD (Top Level Domain). Although there are over 1000 TLDs (.net, .info, .org) the .com is most trusted and recognizable. It’s what people expect to see.

The only instance where a .com may not be the best choice is when a website is for an organization. In such a case, the .org TLD is more appropriate.

2 – Don’t Use Hyphens or Misspelling to Claim a Domain

Sometimes if a domain is unavailable, people will use a hyphen or alternative spelling to claim a similar name. E. g healthyrecipes.com is not available, so they opt for healthy-recipes.com or healthyrecipez.com.

Apart from looking cheap and unprofessional. Using an alternative spelling or hyphen to claim a domain is not a good idea, it can cause brand confusion if competing with another website, which leads to a loss of sales and leads. Worse still, it can land you in legal trouble.

3 – Don’t Worry About Keywords

If your blog is about “budgeting tips” you don’t have to include those keywords in the domain name.

In the past keywords in domains used to provide a significant SEO boost. Today, keywords offer little SEO value when compared to other on-page and off-page SEO factors.

If you think of a cool domain name that contains keywords and is available to buy, then great. But, if not, don’t worry about it.

More important than having keywords in your domain is choosing a name that is original.

4 – Think Outside the Box

Do not be afraid to think outside the box. This ties into the previous point of not worrying about keywords.

For example, Fisherman.com is an obvious (keyword orientated) name for a blog about fishing, but you could also opt for a name like Soulbait.com (I know that’s not the correct spelling for Sole), it’s relative to the niche and would resonate with a fishing audience.

Of course, you could also make up a name.

Take the name of this blog for example. BlozFu is a mash-up of the words “Blog” and “Kung fu.” Another example of a made-up name is Google; it doesn’t mean anything it was born from a misspelling of the word “Googol.”

5 – Keep Your Name Short and Snappy – Think Brand

Avoid names that are wordy and generic. Your domain should be short and snappy and roll off the tongue. Short names are easier to remember and have a more of a brand sound.

When you think about a name, picture how others would perceive it. Would it sound like a brand name when spoken? Would it look like a brand name when seen in written format as a logo, or printed on a business card or physical product?

6 – Check The Name is Not in Use Elsewhere

Before you purchase a domain name make sure it’s not in use somewhere else. The name you choose might be someones social media handle, a trademark, or the name of product or book. Who knows!

You can use tools like namechk.com and knowem.com to search across major social platforms, search engines and databases.

Once you confirm that the name is all yours, go ahead and click on the buy button.

7 – Allow for Growth

The subject matter of a blog can expand over time, so be careful not to pigeonhole yourself with a very niche specific domain name.

Choosing a name like YogaExercises.com might sound like a good idea now, but it won’t be relevant if you decide to blog about Wellness and Mindfulness down the line.

You can allow for evolution by picking a more ambiguous name. Instead of YogaExcercises.com, you could opt for a name like Innercalm.com, which would be relevant for Yoga, Mindfulness, and Wellness.

To Wrap-up

As I said at the start of this post, choosing a domain takes time, so don’t rush the process.

Put together a list of potential “available” domain names – say five to eight as a baseline. Then ask family and friends for their feedback and preferences. Ultimately, it is your decision, but feedback is always good.

Anyway, happy hunting and I hope you come-up with a killer name for your new blog.

If you have any questions or other tips, please feel free to comment below.